In her third year of medical school, Savitri confided in her best friend that she might be ready to find love. Well, Savitri’s friend told a couple people… and they told a couple people, and after a few days the whole school knew that Savitri might be ready to date. Savitri asked a few boys out for dinner, and they were all very nice. However, none of the first dates led to a second. That was until she met Satyavan.
Satyavan was wise, thoughtful, and kind. He was unlike any man she had ever met. The two began going on dates almost every weekend. Before long, Savitri knew that she had found the man she would marry. As Satyavan started to realize that their relationship was getting more serious, he knew he had to be completely honest with her. He pulled her aside one day and sat her down in private to talk. He told her about the rare disease he was diagnosed with a few months before they started dating. Unfortunately, his doctors said he only had one year to live.
Savitri was devastated, but it didn’t prevent her from loving him. The two were married the following week and began their life together. Savitri dedicated her life to her work. She was working on a big research project- she hoped to find the cure for Satyavan’s disease. She had a sense of urgency that her colleagues couldn’t replicate- her intensity was unparalleled. She researched, experimented, and developed a treatment for animal trial within 8 months. The treatment was successful, but it would take many more months, if not years, for the FDA to approve a human trial. Savitri was running out of time, and Satyavan grew weaker with each passing week. Savitri knew what she had to do. It went against all of the rules, but at this point she didn’t care. She began administering the treatment to Satyavan in secret in their home on the day that his year would’ve been up. Slowly but surely, Satyavan began to rebuild his strength. His doctors were amazed by his progress, and claimed that it had to have been a miracle that saved his life. Satyavan grinned, and glanced over at his wife. “I couldn’t agree more,” he responded.
In the following year, Savitri’s treatment was approved made available to the public. Savitri and Satyavan went on to live a long and happy life together.
Illustration of a hypodermic needle,
Author: zeimusu, Date: Not listed, Source: Free Stock Photos
Author’s Note:
In the original story Savitri gets to take her pick of who will be her husband, and she chooses a man who only has one year to live. These details of the story have remained the same. However, this version of the story takes place in a modern setting. Instead of Savitri literally outsmarting the lord of death, she uses her smarts to prevent the death of her husband by creating a cure for his disease.
Bibliography:
Mahabharta retold by William Buck and illustrated by Shirley Triest, 1973. Print.
Savitri sounds like a very strong woman. It is impressive that she ended up dedicating a year of her schooling to heal the one she loved. It really shows her commitment to the feelings she has toward Satyavan. I like how the modern interpretation of Satyavan’s death sentence being caused by a disease than the actual personified character of Death.
ReplyDeleteNicole, I really enjoyed reading your story! I liked how you made it a more modern retelling along with the role of Savitri as a medical student. It’s always great to see stories like this where someone is able to cheat death, either for themselves or for someone else. Sometimes it’s easier, and almost necessary, for someone to break the rules for the right cuase; “little evil for greater good” is a saying I’ve heard before.
ReplyDeleteNicole, I am glad you chose to write your story about Savitri. Savitri was such a smart woman and she loved her husband so much- in the original story and in your version of the story. I thought it was pretty interesting that you made Savitri go to medical school and do a research project to cure her husband’s disease. I'm glad they had a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI really like this story. The picture of the hypodermic needle is what first grabbed my attention. It reminds me of the TV show “House.” It seems like they always find an excuse to use a giant needle. I thought your story was simple but powerful. Savitri’s ability to find a treatment and cure her husband makes for a heartwarming ending.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't familiar with this story, but after reading your Author's Note, I understand the original. You did a fantastic job transforming this story and putting it in a more modern context. I love how you switched it from outsmarting death to using her intelligence to find a way to cure his illness. It was the perfect transformation to put it in a more modern context. This was a great story!
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole! I really liked your re-telling of this story.Making it like a medical drama was such a smart way to update and modernize the story. You do a nice job of describing and characterizing Savitri and her husband, and the pacing of the story works really well. Your picture was also nice because it was so attention-grabbing. Great job!
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